LIGHTS OUT AGAIN

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 701, 28 June 1929, Page 16

LIGHTS OUT AGAIN

POWER FAILURE AFFECTS WHOLE CITY LINES OBSTRUCTED jpOR periods ranging from three to 25 minutes, practically the whole of the Auckland area was without light last evening, as a result of a failure in the Arapuni power supply. The failing occurred at about halfpast six in the evening, and all the tram services, with the exception of the Onehunga route, were held up. Although no definite advice as to the cause of the failure has yet been received from Arapuni, the Auckland Electric-Power Board’s engineer stated this morning that it had probably been caused by some obstruction such as a tree interfering with the power lines. The failure of the Arapuni supply left the station on King’s Wharf to carry the whole load. This meant that the supplies at the various substations of Kingsland, Newmarket, Hobson Street, and Beresford Street were suspended for periods ranging from three to 18 minutes, until the extra load could be carried. The Epsom sub-station is on a low frequency current, and thus the Onehunga trams were able to continue running. The restoration of the power supply in Mount Eden, Epsom, Onehunga, and Remuera took longer than in the other suburbs, and by 7.30 the adjustments at the King’s Wharf power station to carry the extra load Were completed. HORAHORA ALSO Another failure of the power supply lasting for only a few minutes occurred in the Dominion Road district shortly before 11 p.m. This was due to adjustments being made at Penrose. The Horahora supply also failed last evening between 5.30 and 5.50, and 6.15 and 6.45. All the North Shore suburbs and areas served by the Waitemata Power Board were affected, but in each instance the supply was quickly restored. The board’s engine. ' stated this morning that the failure could quite likely have been caused by severe lightning.